


A grain of salt

by LiveOakWithMoss



Series: Punching out my dancelines [35]
Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Beaches, DWMP verse, Inappropriate Jellyfish Anecdotes, M/M, PDA/Refusal to Commit PDA
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 12:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7361320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveOakWithMoss/pseuds/LiveOakWithMoss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finrod and Curufin go to the beach and Finrod goes full Leslie Knope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A grain of salt

“Curvo, my beautiful tropical fish…”

“Give me the hat back.”

“My shimmering abalone miracle…”

“Is that a jab at my complexion?”

“Please tell me why you loathe the beach so much.”

Curufin drew his legs up so that he was entirely shaded by the umbrella, twitched the blanket out so he was as insulated as possible from the sand, and gave Finrod a Look as he settled the broad-brimmed hat back over his ears.

Finrod was stretched out happily on the sand, his hair curly from the salt air and his skin tanned brown as a nut. He was wearing blue swim trunks in at least a size smaller than Curufin would have been comfortable with, and his only defense against the sun was a pair of vintage Ray Bans that he had stolen from his father.

“You have the audacity to ask me this question,” said Curufin, “after experiencing the disaster that was yesterday’s sailing expedition?”

“I am truly sorry you got seasick,” said Finrod contritely. “Usually _Le Cygne_  is a much smoother ride. And I am sorry that you lost your shoe overboard.”

Curufin wiggled his toes in the pair of borrowed, too large flip-flops. “My blisters are not ready to forgive.”

“But that is why we are oceanside and not _on_ the water today!” Finrod gestured expansively. “Tell me, why such loathing for this beautiful place that you live less than an hour from?”

“Sea beasts,” said Curufin, picking up his book and flipping through it to find his place. “I have a terror of denizens from the depths. Saw _20,000 Leagues Under The Sea_ too young as a child.”

“My beloved kraken, I promise there is no beast beneath the waves more intimidating than you.”

“Thank you.” Curufin squinted at the page, the bright light making it hard to read. “But there is nothing in my history that compels me to think kindly about the sea.”

“Delicate starfish of joy, do tell me why.”

“No starfish,” said Curufin, looking at Finrod from beneath his hat. “Not since Tyelko enlightened me as to the meaning of ‘chocolate starfish’ and quite ruined that particular echinoderm for me.”

“Tell me then, oh…” Finrod cast about for a moment. “…savory mantis shrimp.”

“You’re running out of good epithets.” Curufin made a face but started counting on his fingers. “Reason one to mistrust the seaside: getting burned to a crisp with every excursion, thanks to my mother’s Irish ancestors giving me their curse. Two: witnessing Moryo’s innocent attempt to body surf and him losing both front teeth. Three: The time Tyelko pretended to drown to get the attention of a pretty lifeguard and then almost _did_ drown when the riptide took him. Four: The incident at the marina. Five: The incident of the overly intimate jellyfish. Six: The time we thought smugglers had kidnapped the Ambarussa but they had just fallen asleep in someone’s kayak. Seven – ”

“You should write a book,” said Finrod, who had been listening in fascination.

“No.”

“You should let _me_ write a book.”

“I’ve said it to Makalaurë and I’ll say it to you,” said Curufin, shaking sand out of his cell phone case. “I will not sell you my life rights.”

Finrod stretched and sighed and dropped his sunglasses into Curufin’s lap. “Well, if you won’t join me, I suppose I shall have to dip alone.”

“I’ll be here with the coast guard on speed dial. Oh, wait, I don’t get any service here. Try not to drown.”

“Lovely.” Finrod blew Curufin a kiss and jogged down to the water’s edge, throwing himself into the waves with an abandon that Curufin couldn’t quite tear his eyes away from.

When he returned, dripping and joyful, Curufin held his book hastily out of the splash zone. Finrod dropped to the blanket and pulled himself up over Curufin’s legs, bracing his arms on either side of Curufin’s hips. Water droplets rolled from his body onto Curufin’s, and while Curufin flinched, the coolness was refreshing beneath the dulled heat of the beach umbrella.

“Tell me more about the intimate jellyfish,” said Finrod, inching closer.

“No,” said Curufin firmly.

“Come in the water with me,” Finrod breathed, his lips to Curufin’s ear.

“No,” said Curufin, but with lessening resolution.

When Finrod kissed him, his lips were cool and salty, his skin slightly sticky to the touch but delightfully chilled. Curufin thought to protest, but instead found himself running his hands up Finrod’s bare arms to caress his shoulders and neck and pull through his hair where it curled against his nape.

“You have sand in your hair,” he whispered.

“I know.” Finrod sank his teeth lightly into Curufin’s lower lip.

“Call me another name.”

“Anything for you,” murmured Finrod. “my…prickly sea urchin.”

“I knew you couldn’t think of any more good ones.”

Finrod kissed him again, his long body settling between Curufin’s bent knees, and Curufin sank his fingers into Finrod’s hair, cradling his skull as he pulled him closer.

Two figures approached, and Curufin pushed Finrod hastily away. “Stop, people are coming.”

“We’re fully clothed,” said Finrod, but rolled to the side.

“PDA is unacceptable.”

“But we are beautiful, so we should be forgiven.”

Celegorm was loping across the sand, Aredhel and Huan jogging alongside him. Aredhel was wearing a white two-piece that dramatically displayed what looked like an impressive rug burn across her side.

“Took a dive in beach volleyball,” she said, when she saw them staring. “I nailed it, though.”

“I’m impressed you got Curvo to come back to the beach,” said Celegorm, grinning as the sea air tossed his wild hair, bleached white in the sun. “A jellyfish sting to the ballsack is often quite the detractor. Cheerio!” With a wave, he and Aredhel jogged off again, as Curufin tugged his hat down over his eyes and Finrod fought to keep a straight face.

“I am terribly sorry about your past trauma,” he said at last, his lips twitching.

“I am going to murder him.”

“Can I see the scar?”

“You _have_ ,” said Curufin, and threw his hat at Finrod, who had lost his battle with laughter.

Later, when he had succeeded in throwing Finrod into the ocean and Finrod had pulled him in after, wrapping his arms around him in the cool, clear water, he decided that he might give the beach a second chance.

But he still let Finrod’s flip-flops float away on the tide.


End file.
